The heritage of the presepe is a very old tradition that can be a real art form: for example, Naples is famous for its handmade presepi and many statues created by artisans. This is a scene of the birth of a baby Jesus with a small statue, usually placed near the Christmas tree. On December 8, another tradition for some Italian families is to prepare the presepe. On that day, which is a public holiday, Italians take out the addobbi (decorations) and start decorating the albero di Natale (Christmas Tree), putting luci, palline e stelle (lights, balls, and stars) on the tree. For most families, however, the Christmas season officially kicks off on the 8th of December, il giorno dell’Immacolata Concezione or simply l’Immacolata. Christmas is definitely a big deal in Italy, so if you’re learning Italian or simply want to know how to greet your Italian friends on Christmas, this article is for you.Īs soon as November comes to a close, some Italian homes begin to display some Christmas decor.

Christmas is around the corner and it’s a perfect time to learn some vocabulary. It’s that time of the year when we have to learn some Christmas words in Italian.